BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
“The Bull Sheet” is on holiday hiatus from December 25th through January 4th inclusive. Subscribers will receive account credits for missed service days.

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical “School of Rock” will premiere on Broadway next year, with the adaptation of Richard Linklater’s 2003 movie opening next December at NYC’s Winter Garden Theater. Lloyd Webber knows the venue pretty well: his production of “Cats”, one the world’s first global mega-musicals, ran there for 18 years. “School of Rock” follows a wannabe rock star who uses a stint as a substitute teacher to recruit a band of talented kids to take on the ‘Battle Of the Bands’.
– Variety.com
★ Natalie Portman says her role in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy from 1999 to 2005 nearly killed her career. She played ‘Padme Amidala’, love interest of ‘Anakin Skywalker’, but then struggled to find acting jobs afterward as no director wanted to work with her. Late filmmaker Mike Nichols (husband of Diane Sawyer), who died in November, helped her out by recommending her to fellow directors. That got her work in “Cold Mountain”, then “V for Vendetta”, and eventually “Black Swan”, for which she won an Oscar.
– “NY Magazine”
★ Hip-hop stars The Game, TI, and RZA are joining forces to head up a judging panel for a new rap reality TV contest. “One Shot” will follow rap veteran Crooked I, MTV personality Sway Calloway, and record executive Mike Smith as they search for the next big star in various cities, including Atlanta, NYC, LA, and Miami. The final four will head into a studio with pro producers before the season finalé in Las Vegas, where the winner will be awarded a $100,000 cash prize and a record deal. “One Shot” airs in 2015.
– WENN.com
★ And the New Jersey strip club that was featured in the TV mob drama “The Sopranos” (1999-2007) has been robbed. Two men with shotguns stormed into the Satin Dolls venue, which doubled as ‘Tony Soprano’s beloved ‘Bada Bing Club’, and made off with over $30,000 according to local police reports. In February, the Lodi NJ club hit the headlines when its former owner, Anthony Cardinalle, was revealed as a mob informant. Seems he agreed to cooperate with the feds in an attempt to reduce jail time for a racketeering charge.
– CNN.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Gerard Way (“Hesitant Alien”). Rerun.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Blake Shelton (“Bringing Back the Sunshine”). Rerun.
• “Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale” (NBC) – A comedic take on a traditional holiday story that first aired in 2013. Appearances by Blake Shelton, Jay Leno, Reba McEntire, Robin Williams, Trisha Yearwood, and Whoopi Goldberg among others.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – The So So Glos (“Blowout”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Charli XCX (“Sucker”). Rerun.
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Nick Jonas (“Nick Jonas”); Sting (“The Last Ship”).
• “Michael Bublé’s Christmas in New York” (NBC) – Rerun of the crooner’s 2014 holiday special. Guests include Ariana Grande, Barbra Streisand, Miss Piggy, and the Rockettes.
• “One Direction: The TV Special” (NBC) – This 1-hour network special features behind-the-scenes footage from the South American leg of this year’s “Where We Are Tour” and follows the band as they record their latest album, “Four”, on the road.
• “The Real” (syndicated) – TI (“Paperwork”). Rerun.
• “Tavis Smiley” (PBS) – Annie Lennox (“Nostalgia”). Rerun.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Big Sean (“Hall of Fame”); One Direction (“Four”).
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Guest co-host Cyndi Lauper (“Kinky Boots”). Rerun.
• “The Year: 2014” (ABC) – Celebrities, newsmakers, and other special guests reflect on the events of 2014 with host Robin Roberts.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• AC/DC – Former drummer Phil Rudd wants his job back. The 60-year-old is facing charges of drug possession and threatening to kill, prompting the band to hire a new drummer for their upcoming world tour. But Rudd has pled not guilty and is adamant he wants to return to the band after resolving his legal troubles.
• Elton John – He and new spouse David Furnish have thanked fans, friends, and family for their kind messages after the twosome documented their marriage on Instagram.com as it happened on Sunday. The longtime couple upgraded their civil partnership to a marriage, thanks to changes to UK law. Wedding guests included Ed Sheeran, Hugh Grant, Kate Bush, and Victoria & David Beckham.
• Iggy Azalea – Someone claiming to represent hacker organization Anonymous is threatening her with a sex tape leak if she doesn’t apologize for her comments about singer-songwriter Azealia Banks. There’s been an ongoing feud between the two artists. For the record, Iggy says there IS no sex tape, so she’s unconcerned.
• Meghan Trainor – The 20-year-old has revealed she planned her entire career using a ‘vision board’ on which she mapped out what she wanted to achieve in a collage. Among the representations on her board: a worldwide #1 song (check); a record deal (check); and a Grammy Award (we’ll find out February 8th).
• Nicki Minaj – She says she wants a man who appreciates how hard she works. The 32-year-old rapper admits her longtime relationship with Safaree Samuels ended after 12 years because she was a workaholic and he needed more attention than she could provide.
• Rolling Stones – They’ve posted a video message on YouTube thanking fans for another successful year. The septuagenarian rockers played in 19 countries for over a million people in 2014. 1,159,882 to be exact.
• Tim McGraw – He & wife Faith Hill are attempting to sell their Tennessee property just outside of Nashville for $18.5 million. They sold off a small portion of the 753-acre estate for $20 million last year and are now listing the remaining land as 2 separate properties, ‘Beechwood Hall’ and ‘Samuel Morton House’.

THIS WEEK’S VIDEO RELEASES:
Out today on DVD, Netflix, Google Play and/or other video providers …
• “The Good Lie” ( PG-13 Drama ): Sudanese refugees given the chance to resettle in America arrive in Kansas, where their encounter with an employment agency counselor forever changes all of their lives. Stars Reese Witherspoon, and child actors Arnold Oceng, Emmanuel Jal, and Ger Duany.
• “Intruders” ( R-Rated Horror Thriller ): Two children, who are complete strangers living in different countries, are both visited nightly by a faceless being named ‘Hollow Face’, who wants to take possession of them. Stars Clive Owen and Carice van Houten. Shot in London UK and Madrid, Spain.
• “The Trip to Italy” ( NR Dramedy ): In this sequel to director Michael Winterbottom’s largely improvised 2010 film, actor-comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon (or semi-fictionalized versions thereof) reunite for a new culinary road trip, in which they retrace the steps of Romantic poets’ grand tour of Italy.
• Also released today: “American Experience: Cold War Roadshow” (TV Documentary); “Frontline: The Rise of ISIS” (TV Documentary); “Traffickers” (Korean Crime Thriller); and “Wings: Sky Force Heroes” (Animation).

FUN WAYS TO CELEBRATE NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH KIDS:
If your kids are too young to stay up late and participate in adult festivities, use a little creativity to stage their own party. A few ideas …
✓ Throw a “Noon Year’s Eve” party at midday, great for kids who are too little to stay up until midnight.
✓ You can also celebrate the New Year with your kids when it arrives in a different time zone. Observe midnight 3 hours earlier and still have the kids in bed by 9:15.
✓ Have your kids fill out “Time Capsule” questionnaires. Once they’ve written down things like ‘favorite meal of the year’, store the questionnaires to be opened on next New Year’s Eve.
✓ Set up a craft station where younger kids can DIY their own party hats.
✓ Play “Minute to Win it” games. You can find a number of family-friendly ones here …
NET: http://www.incredibleevents.com/minutetowinlist.html
✓ Have kids help you make confetti-filled balloons to be popped after a countdown.
✓ Stage a ‘Photo Scavenger Hunt’ whereby you hide pics taken during the year throughout the house. Have kids try to collect as many as they can. Afterward, peruse the photos together.
✓ Make “New Year’s Poppers” using leftover holiday gift-wrap rolls stuffed with prizes.
✓ Keep the fun going all evening with New Year’s Eve surprise bags, to be opened every 30 minutes, revealing items needed for a different activity from a dance party to a photoshoot.
– Adapted from BuzzFeed.com

3-PARENT BABIES:
Will this be the next big thing? The world’s first babies with 3 parents could be born in the UK if British parliamentarians approve new legislation legalizing the ‘Mitochondrial Transfer Technique’ to prevent inherited genetic diseases. If it passes, the UK would become the first country in the world to legalize the procedure. The IVF process uses genetic material from a mother and a father as well as a donor egg – minus its nucleus – from another woman. The healthy DNA from the donor would replace parents’ defective DNA responsible for a host of debilitating inherited diseases. One of the regulations in the bill stipulates that the donor would NOT be classed as a ‘parent’ related to the ensuing child. In addition, any child born as a result of the technique would NOT have the right to information about the donor. (You’ve been worried about ‘Frankenfood’? Soon we’ll have ‘Frankenkids’.)
– Condensed from “The Guardian”

DID YOU KNOW?
• Scallops caught in Brittany, France are shipped to China for cleaning before being transported back to France to be sold in ready-to-go meals.
– “The Local”
• Contrary to popular belief, the holiday season may be the best time of year to look for a job according to a consulting firm. There’s far less competition because most people postpone job searches until the new year.
– Erdlen Bograd Group
• The origins of “Monopoly” go back decades earlier than previously thought, to the “Landlord’s Game”, patented in 1904 by the feminist Lizzie Magie. It had a square board with 9 rectangular spaces on each side between corners labeled ‘Go to Jail’ and ‘Public Park’.
– SmithsonianMag.com

BS CHRONOMETER 12.23.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1943 [71] Harry Shearer, LA CA, TV voice-over actor (numerous voices on “The Simpsons” since 1989)/movie actor (“This Is Spinal Tap”)

1964 [50] Eddie Vedder (Edward Louis Severson III), Evanston IL, alt-rock singer (“Hard Sun”, Pearl Jam-“Last Kiss”)

TODAY’S BS REASON TO PARTY . . .
• “Noche de Rabano” (“Night Of the Radishes”) in Oaxaca (‘wah-HAH-kah’), Mexico, when figurines are cleverly carved … from radishes. How festive!
NET: http://academictoursoaxaca.com/4main_radish.htm

• “Roots Day”, a day to celebrate your heritage. Many of us are returning to our roots as we head home for Christmas, bringing us a cozy, comfortable feeling and a sense of belonging.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1997 [17] 62-year-old movie director Woody Allen and his 27-year-old stepdaughter Soon-Yi Previn quietly wed in Venice, Italy

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1959 [55] “Why” by Frankie Avalon hits #1 on the pop chart, the shortest-ever title of any chart-topping hit

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2007 [07] Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (aged 29 years, 122 days) surpasses Wilt Chamberlain to become youngest player in NBA history to reach 20,000 career points

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Christmas Eve
[Wed] Egg Nog Day
[Thurs] Christmas Day
[Thurs] “Big Eyes”; “The Gambler”; “Into the Woods”; “Unbroken” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Candy Cane Day
[Fri] Thank-You Note Day
This Week Is … It’s About Time Week
This Month Is … Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month

BULL’S BITS

TAKING IT BACK:
191 years ago today (1823), “A Visit from St Nicholas” by Clement C Moore was first published in the “Troy (NY) Sentinel”. Here’s an updated BS version …
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the land
Mothers and fathers were taking a stand!
“We’re tired of this jolly old soul named St Nick
Taking the credit for the presents we picked!
Each year we go out and work off our butts
To pay for these presents, we must have been nuts!
Well, we’re mad as hell! We won’t take it no more!
The time has come, Santa, to settle the score.
Pack up your red bag and get back on your sleigh,
And clean up that mess Prancer left, by the way!
WE hung these stockings and WE trimmed this tree!
WE paid for these gifts with our sweat, so you see,
Go back to your sleigh and your nasty reindeer
Things will be different, starting this year!”
So we heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
“Tell those snotty-nosed rugrats, it’s been no delight!
They pulled on my beard! They spit in my face!
They peed on my suit! It’s been a disgrace!
I needed a break from this job anyway
The hours are rough, not to mention the pay!
So I think we’ll head south and soak up some sun,
So tell all those brats, I’m finished! I’m done!”
As he jumped in his sleigh and headed from sight,
We heard him tell Rudolph … “Turn off that damn light!”

BS RANDOM JOKE:
At the mall I saw a kid on a leash. I think if I ever have a kid, it’s gonna be cordless.

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Who gave us the Christmas tradition of hanging mistletoe?
a. The ancient Eqyptians.
b. The pagan Druids. [CORRECT]
c. The Griswolds.

• Where would you be if you heard the phrase ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ this time of year?
a. Ireland.
b. Mexico.
c. Hawaii. [CORRECT. It’s Hawaiian for ‘Merry Christmas’.]

BS WEB GOODIE:
The Instagram account ‘WePhotoshoppedWhat’ calls out fashion magazines who digitally alter their images. The account, run by an anonymous user, uses hot pink arrows to point out where exactly photos have been edited to make its subjects thinner.
NET: http://instagram.com/wephotoshoppedwhat/

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What unusual job has you stuck working Christmas Day? New Year’s Eve?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Over the past 3 years, there’s been a 20% increase in the number of adults playing THIS game competitively.
Answer: Dodgeball.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Before you open your mouth to speak, make sure it’s an improvement upon the silence.